"Kids really need more homework to occupy them. Otherwise, they just have too much energy," Kawashima Toya muttered, putting on a mock-villainous expression.
"Maybe I should gift Kokoro-chan a set of advanced workbooks. Once she experiences the horror of a never-ending workload, she'll stop trying to act like such a mature adult."
Kokoro immediately fell silent, not daring to say another word.
Toya nodded in satisfaction. "Finally, some peace and quiet."
Half an hour later, Toya surveyed the table filled with a variety of Foreign Country dishes and nodded.
"Now this looks like a meal meant for human consumption."
Kotonoha feeling ashamed.
I couldn't even manage a single dish... Kawashima-sensei must be so disappointed in me.
"Kotonoha-san, why aren't you eating?" Toya asked, noticing her hesitation.
"I spent nearly thirty minutes on this. Is it not to your liking?"
He had no idea her mind was spiraling with such self-doubt. She was the type to overanalyze even the smallest interaction.
"It looks delicious! I'm just overwhelmed by your kindness," Kotonoha replied with a strained but sincere smile.
Beside her, Kokoro watched her sister's awkwardness and felt a surge of annoyance.
Big sister is such a hopeless case. Toya-sensei is so gentle; why would he ever judge you? If you keep acting this gloomy, that's the real reason he'll keep his distance.
Kokoro glanced at Toya and decided she would have a serious talk with her sister later tonight. She needed to teach Kotonoha what men actually appreciated.
After resting for a bit following the meal, Toya said his goodbyes. Despite Kotonoha's hesitant attempts to make him stay longer, he remained firm and took his leave.
.....
Sakano Commercial District
Walking down the street, Toya's gaze drifted toward the neon lights of the bustling commercial area.
I might as well see what the arcades are like in this world.
Game centers lined both sides of the street. Nearly every shop was packed to the point where finding an open machine was a struggle.
After walking for a while, he finally spotted one that looked promising and went inside.
Five minutes later, Toya set his remaining tokens down and walked out.
"Not for me..."
The selection was vast, but none of it held his interest.
Looking at the other players, he could tell most were there to escape their real-world problems.
They used the games to vent their frustrations, seeking a momentary sense of control through a virtual victory. As a traveler with a System, he didn't share that same restless anxiety.
Naturally, the games failed to keep him engaged.
As he stepped back onto the main street, he noticed his phone screen flashing.
A notification? Who's messaging me at this hour?
Toya opened the message, and the word 'HELP' jumped out at him.
[Kawashima-sensei, please come to my house! There are Shiki outside! My address is...]
Saionji Sekai has been targeted? Toya's expression turned grim as he checked the timestamp. The message had been sent three minutes ago.
I need to move. I hope I'm not too late.
Without another word, Toya sprinted toward the address Sekai had provided. He hoped he could reach her in time; if she were fed upon, the aftermath would be incredibly troublesome.
Once he left the crowded commercial area and reached a more secluded district, he stopped holding back his physical limits.
He moved with a speed that blurred into an afterimage, leaping between the rooftops of high-rise buildings. To any bystander below, it would have looked like a mere trick of the light.
Three minutes later, Toya arrived at the location. He stood atop a nearby roof, scanning the perimeter of the Saionji residence for any movement.
They're gone? I hope she hasn't already been bitten.
His eyes tracked the faint, lingering trails of decaying energy. The Shiki had already departed. Preparing for the worst, he made his way into the house.
The interior was pitch black and deathly silent. Toya's vision adjusted instantly, cutting through the shadows as if it were broad daylight.
"Saionji-san? Are you in here?" he called out tentatively.
"Toya-sensei?" A muffled response came from the second floor. "Is that really you?"
"Stay where you are. I'm coming up," Toya replied, heading for the stairs.
As he moved through the house, he noticed something strange.
There were traces of Shiki energy all over the exterior of the building, but the interior was perfectly clean. Not a single monster had set foot inside.
Do Shiki know how to mask their presence?
Toya dismissed the thought immediately. Concealing one's aura wasn't a skill a common Shiki could possess. To do that, they'd need to be an Assassin-class Heroic Spirit.
Wait, I remember now. Toya's expression turned peculiar. It really is that literal—they can't enter without an invitation.
He recalled the specific traits of the Shiki. They lacked a heartbeat, didn't breathe, and didn't age.
They retained their memories and personalities, staying alive as long as they consumed blood. They were remarkably similar to the vampires of legend.
The Shiki's greatest flaw was being frozen in the moment of their transformation.
No matter what they did, they couldn't truly grow stronger—at most, they were only slightly more powerful than an athletic human.
Their only real advantage was their lingering humanity and their memories.
And the fact that they can't enter a home without the owner's permission.
Toya saw Sekai emerging from a storage closet, shivering in her pajamas, and his theory was confirmed. Without the owner's consent, a Shiki could not set foot inside a private residence.
Is it a set of supernatural rules, or some kind of spiritual protection? Toya pushed the thought aside.
Whatever. I'll just kill them when I see them. There's no need to overthink their taboos.
Seeing Toya, Sekai's panic finally began to subside. "Sensei! Did you see them on your way here?"
"No, I didn't see a single one," Toya said, sounding slightly disappointed.
"I could smell that rot in the air when I arrived, but I was too late to catch them."
"It's better that you didn't." Sekai's eyes were still wide with lingering fear.
"Sensei, I don't know what happened. Right after I sent that text, my phone lost its signal completely. Suddenly, there were so many of them... at least ten. I wanted to tell you not to come, but the message wouldn't send."
"No signal? That's not surprising." Toya wasn't shocked.
Since the Shiki retained their human intelligence, they understood that she would try to call for help. Cutting the local communication lines was a logical first step.